Split solid adsorption cooling system

ABSTRACT

A split solid adsorption cooling system is disclosed. The split solid adsorption cooling system includes a first adsorption unit, a second adsorption unit, and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The first and the second adsorption units are connected to each other via a first pipeline and a second pipeline of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. While adsorption and desorption take place alternately in the first and the second adsorption units, the temperature of the first and the second pipelines is lowered, thereby decreasing the temperature of water flowing in the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. In addition, the manufacturing costs of the split solid adsorption cooling system can be lowered because the shell-and-tube heat exchanger need not be operated in a vacuum environment. Furthermore, as the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is separate from the first and the second adsorption units, the overall system volume is reduced.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a solid adsorption cooling system and, more particularly, to a split solid adsorption cooling system.

2. Description of Related Art

Recently, as the greenhouse effect and the depletion of the ozone layer have had negative impacts on the environment, many countries have begun to regulate the use of refrigerants that produce greenhouses gases. Meanwhile, cooling technologies featuring both environmental protection and energy-saving abilities have been developed. In particular, solid adsorption cooling is a pollution-free technique that does not require an external power source for the main machine; has a simple structure, a long service life, and no moving parts, makes little noise, can be driven by waste heat (e.g., industrial waste heat, solar energy, and like low-temperature heat sources), and is therefore regarded as an effective solution to cooling as well as environmental protection and energy-saving.

The principle of solid adsorption cooling is that, as an adsorbent adsorbs a refrigerant, the refrigerant liquid evaporates to effect cooling. A solid adsorption cooling system is composed of three major parts, namely an adsorption bed, an evaporator, and a condenser which operate in the following manner. Cooling water and hot water are used to cool and heat an adsorbent alternately. As a result, a refrigerant is adsorbed and desorbed repeatedly in the adsorption bed. Then, the refrigerant is guided into the evaporator and the condenser to absorb and release heat.

Adsorption is a process in which a medium such as cooling water or air flows through the high-temperature adsorption bed to carry away the sensible heat and the adsorption heat of the adsorbent (typically silica gel, zeolite, activated carbon, etc.), causing the adsorbent to adsorb the refrigerant (typically water, methanol, ethanol, or ammonia). As the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant drops, the refrigerant liquid in the evaporator, which is connected to the adsorption bed, evaporates and absorbs heat, and in consequence, a cooling effect is achieved.

Desorption, on the other hand, is a process in which hot water flows through the adsorption bed to raise the temperature of the adsorbent and cause the refrigerant adsorbed by the adsorbent to desorb therefrom while the adsorbent is regenerated. The desorbed refrigerant flows to the condenser, is cooled by the cooling water therein, and eventually condenses into refrigerant liquid. Thus, by feeding cooling water and hot water alternately into the adsorption bed, the refrigerant is adsorbed to and desorbed from the adsorbent repeatedly, and the repeated adsorption and desorption is coupled with the functions of the evaporator and the condenser to provide cooling.

Solid adsorption cooling can be applied to an air conditioning system to replace the compressor in the air conditioning system. However, due to the limited choices in adsorbent materials and working fluids, the conventional solid adsorption cooling system requires that both adsorption and desorption take place under vacuum pressure. Because of that, the related elements and the connecting pipelines in the system must be able to resist high pressure, and the overall volume of the system is immense.

In addition, as it is necessary for the adsorption bed, the evaporator, and the condenser to be integrated into the same vacuum chamber, and for adsorption, desorption, evaporation, and condensation to occur in the same pressure environment, the conventional solid adsorption cooling system cannot be effectively downsized even if the evaporator and the condenser are incorporated into a single heat exchanger. Moreover, as the conventional heat exchanger that incorporates the functions of the evaporator and the condenser is not designed specifically according to the heat transfer properties of the evaporator and the condenser, an increase in the cooling efficiency and an effective reduction of the system's manufacturing costs are unattainable. As a result, the conventional solid adsorption cooling system has yet to be effectively used in air conditioning systems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a split solid adsorption cooling system which includes a shell-and-tube heat exchanger as an evaporative cooling element. Thus, not only do the heat transfer properties of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger contribute to enhanced cooling, but also the production costs of the solid adsorption cooling system can be lowered.

It is another object of the present invention to provide the foregoing split solid adsorption cooling system, wherein the shell-and-tube heat exchanger need not be installed in a vacuum environment and is therefore provided separately from the vacuum chambers to reduce the overall volume of the system.

To achieve the aforesaid objects, the present invention provides a split solid adsorption cooling system including a first adsorption unit, a second adsorption unit, and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The first adsorption unit includes a first vacuum chamber, a first adsorption bed, and a first condenser, wherein the first adsorption bed and the first condenser are provided in the first vacuum chamber. In addition, the first adsorption bed includes a first water inlet and a first water outlet, and the first condenser includes a first refrigerant inlet and a first refrigerant outlet. Similarly, the second adsorption unit includes a second vacuum chamber, a second adsorption bed, and a second condenser, wherein the second adsorption bed and the second condenser are provided in the second vacuum chamber. The second adsorption bed includes a second water inlet and a second water outlet while the second condenser includes a second refrigerant inlet and a second refrigerant outlet. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger includes: a shell including an ice water inlet and an ice water outlet; at least one first pipeline having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the first refrigerant outlet via a first valve unit, and the second end is connected to the second refrigerant inlet via a second valve unit; and at least one second pipeline having a third end and a fourth end, wherein the third end is connected to the second refrigerant outlet via a third valve unit, and the fourth end is connected to the first refrigerant inlet via a fourth valve unit.

Implementation of the present invention at least involves the following inventive steps:

1. The heat transfer properties of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger enhance cooling effect.

2. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger is provided separately from the vacuum chambers to lower the manufacturing costs of the system.

3. As the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is provided outside the vacuum chambers, the overall volume of the system is reduced.

The features and advantages of the present invention are detailed hereinafter with reference to a preferred embodiment. The detailed description is intended to enable a person skilled in the art to gain insight into the technical contents disclosed herein and implement the present invention accordingly. A person skilled in the art can easily understand the objects and advantages of the present invention by referring to the disclosure of the specification, the claims, and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a split solid adsorption cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate operation of the split solid adsorption cooling system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a split solid adsorption cooling system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first adsorption unit 10, a second adsorption unit 20, and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger 30.

The first adsorption unit 10 includes a first vacuum chamber 11, a first adsorption bed 12, and a first condenser 13, wherein the first adsorption bed 12 and the first condenser 13 are provided in the first vacuum chamber 11. The first adsorption bed 12 includes a first water inlet 121 and a first water outlet 122. Hot water or cooling water can be guided into the first adsorption bed 12 through the first water inlet 121 and then flows out of the first adsorption bed 12 through the first water outlet 122. The first condenser 13 includes a first refrigerant inlet 131 and a first refrigerant outlet 132, which allow a refrigerant to flow into and out of the first condenser 13 respectively.

Similarly, the second adsorption unit 20 includes a second vacuum chamber 21, a second adsorption bed 22, and a second condenser 23, wherein the second adsorption bed 22 and the second condenser 23 are provided in the second vacuum chamber 21. The second adsorption bed 22 includes a second water inlet 221 and a second water outlet 222 such that hot water or cooling water can flow into the second adsorption bed 22 through the second water inlet 221 and flow out of the second adsorption bed 22 through the second water outlet 222. The second condenser 23 includes a second refrigerant inlet 231 and a second refrigerant outlet 232 which allow a refrigerant to enter and exit the second condenser 23 respectively.

The first adsorption bed 12 and the second adsorption bed 22 are configured to store an adsorbent such as silica gel, zeolite, activated carbon, and so forth. On the other hand, the first condenser 13 and the second condenser 23 are configured to store a refrigerant such as water, methanol, ethanol, or ammonia. The adsorbent must match the refrigerant, and common adsorbent-refrigerant combinations include activated carbon and methanol, zeolite and water, and silica gel and water, for example.

The shell-and-tube heat exchanger 30 includes a shell 31, at least one first pipeline 32, and at least one second pipeline 33.

The first pipeline 32 and the second pipeline 33 are provided in and covered by the shell 31 of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 30. In addition, the first pipeline 32 and the second pipeline 33 are both vacuum pipelines. The shell 31 includes an ice water inlet 311 and an ice water outlet 312, wherein the ice water inlet 311 and the ice water outlet 312 are located on two opposite sides of the shell 31 respectively, thus allowing ice water to flow into the shell 31 through the ice water inlet 311 and then flow out of the shell 31 through the ice water outlet 312. Besides, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 30 can be coupled with an air conditioning system to provide ice water thereto.

The split solid adsorption cooling system 100 further includes a storage tank 40 which is connected to the ice water inlet 311 and the ice water outlet 312 of the shell 31. The storage tank 40 is configured to store ice water and supply the ice water to the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 30. After the ice water passes through the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 30, as its effect corresponds with that of the first adsorption unit 10 and the second adsorption unit 20, the temperature of the ice water is further reduced. The ice water now decreased in temperature is still stored in the storage tank 40 and is ready for use by an air conditioning system.

The first pipeline 32 of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 30 has a first end 321 and a second end 322. The first end 321 is connected to the first refrigerant outlet 132 of the first adsorption unit 10 via a first valve unit 50. The second end 322 is connected to the second refrigerant inlet 231 of the second adsorption unit 20 via a second valve unit 60. Likewise, the second pipeline 33 has a third end 331 and a fourth end 332. The third end 331 is connected to the second refrigerant outlet 232 of the second adsorption unit 20 via a third valve unit 70. The fourth end 332 is connected to the first refrigerant inlet 131 of the first adsorption unit 10 via a fourth valve unit 80.

The first valve unit 50 includes a first expansion valve 51 and a first check valve 52. The first expansion valve 51 has one end connected to the first refrigerant outlet 132 of the first condenser 13 and the other end connected to one end of the first check valve 52, wherein the other end of the first check valve 52 is connected to the first end 321 of the first pipeline 32. The second valve unit 60 includes a second check valve 61 which has one end connected to the second end 322 of the first pipeline 32 and the other end connected to the second refrigerant inlet 231 of the second adsorption unit 20. The first check valve 52 only allows the refrigerant to flow from the first refrigerant outlet 132 to the first pipeline 32 while the second check valve 61 only allows the refrigerant to flow from the first pipeline 32 to the second refrigerant inlet 231.

The third valve unit 70 includes a second expansion valve 71 and a third check valve 72. The second expansion valve 71 has one end connected to the second refrigerant outlet 232 of the second condenser 23 and the other end connected to one end of the third check valve 72, wherein the other end of the third check valve 72 is connected to the third end 331 of the second pipeline 33. The fourth valve unit 80 includes a fourth check valve 81 which has one end connected to the fourth end 332 of the second pipeline 33 and the other end connected to the first refrigerant inlet 131 of the first adsorption unit 10. The third check valve 72 only allows the refrigerant to flow from the second refrigerant outlet 232 to the second pipeline 33 while the fourth check valve 81 only allows the refrigerant to flow from the second pipeline 33 to the first refrigerant inlet 131.

The split solid adsorption cooling system 100 of the present embodiment works in the following manner.

As shown in FIG. 2, hot water is fed into the first adsorption unit 10 while cooling water is fed into the second adsorption unit 20. Consequently, desorption takes place in the first adsorption unit 10, while adsorption in the second adsorption unit 20.

While desorption occurs in the first adsorption unit 10, the refrigerant which has been adsorbed by the adsorbent in the first adsorption bed 12 is desorbed and flows into the first condenser 13. As the first vacuum chamber 11 is now in a high-temperature high-pressure state, and the second vacuum chamber 21 in a low-temperature low-pressure state, the refrigerant is pushed into the second vacuum chamber 21 due to the pressure difference between the two vacuum chambers 11, 21.

Hence, the refrigerant flows out of the first refrigerant outlet 132, passes through the first expansion valve 51 and the first check valve 52, and then enters the first pipeline 32 through the first end 321 thereof. After that, the refrigerant flows through the first pipeline 32, exits the first pipeline 32 via the second end 322 thereof, passes through the second check valve 61, and finally enters the second vacuum chamber 21 via the second refrigerant inlet 231. Due to the adsorption taking place in the second adsorption unit 20 through which the cooling water circulates, the refrigerant in the first pipeline 32 evaporates and absorbs heat, thereby lowering the temperature of the first pipeline 32.

Afterward, referring to FIG. 3, hot water is guided into the second adsorption unit 20 while cooling water is guided into the first adsorption unit 10, such that desorption and adsorption take place in the second adsorption unit 20 and the first adsorption unit 10 respectively.

Similarly, while desorption occurs in the second adsorption unit 20, the refrigerant adsorbed by the adsorbent in the second adsorption bed 22 is desorbed and flows into the second condenser 23. As the second vacuum chamber 21 is now in a high-temperature high-pressure state, and the first vacuum chamber 11 in a low-temperature low-pressure state, the refrigerant desorbed from the second adsorption bed 22 is pushed into the first vacuum chamber 11 due to the pressure difference between the two vacuum chambers 11, 21.

Therefore, the refrigerant flows out of the second refrigerant outlet 232, passes through the second expansion valve 71 and the third check valve 72, enters the second pipeline 33 through the third end 331 thereof, and flows through the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 30 along the second pipeline 33. Then, the refrigerant exits the second pipeline 33 via the fourth end 332 thereof, passes through the fourth check valve 81, and enters the first vacuum chamber 11 via the first refrigerant inlet 131.

Meanwhile, as the cooling water flowing in the first adsorption unit 10 results in adsorption, the refrigerant in the second pipeline 33 evaporates and absorbs heat, thereby lowering the temperature of the second pipeline 33.

By feeding hot water and cooling water alternately into the first and the second adsorption units 10, 20, desorption and adsorption take place by turns in the first and the second adsorption units 10, 20 in a continuous fashion, and consequently the first and the second pipelines 32, 33 are kept at a low temperature. Therefore, when ice water enters the shell 31 of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 30 through the ice water inlet 311, the cooling effect alternately produced by the first and the second pipelines 32, 33 lowers the temperature of the ice water further still. The ice water now decreased in temperature flows out of the ice water outlet 312 and can be supplied to and used by an air conditioning system.

Thus, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 30 enables the solid adsorption cooling system 100 to provide continuous cooling. Furthermore, as it is not necessary to provide the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 30 in a vacuum environment, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 30 is located outside the vacuum chambers 11, 21 to reduce not only the manufacturing costs but also the overall volume of the system.

The embodiment described above serves to demonstrate the features of the present invention so that a person skilled in the art can understand the contents disclosed herein and implement the present invention accordingly. The embodiment, however, is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent changes or modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the scope of the present invention, which is defined only by the appended claims. 

1. A split solid adsorption cooling system, comprising: a first adsorption unit comprising a first vacuum chamber, a first adsorption bed, and a first condenser, wherein the first adsorption bed and the first condenser are provided in the first vacuum chamber, the first adsorption bed comprising a first water inlet and a first water outlet, the first condenser comprising a first refrigerant inlet and a first refrigerant outlet; a second adsorption unit comprising a second vacuum chamber, a second adsorption bed, and a second condenser, wherein the second adsorption bed and the second condenser are provided in the second vacuum chamber, the second adsorption bed comprising a second water inlet and a second water outlet, the second condenser comprising a second refrigerant inlet and a second refrigerant outlet; and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger comprising: a shell comprising an ice water inlet and an ice water outlet; at least a first pipeline having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the first refrigerant outlet via a first valve unit, and the second end is connected to the second refrigerant inlet via a second valve unit; and at least a second pipeline having a third end and a fourth end, wherein the third end is connected to the second refrigerant outlet via a third valve unit, and the fourth end is connected to the first refrigerant inlet via a fourth valve unit.
 2. The split solid adsorption cooling system of claim 1, wherein the ice water inlet and the ice water outlet are provided on two opposite sides of the shell respectively.
 3. The split solid adsorption cooling system of claim 1, further comprising a storage tank which is configured to store ice water and is connected to the ice water inlet and the ice water outlet.
 4. The split solid adsorption cooling system of claim 1, wherein the first valve unit comprises: a first expansion valve having an end connected to the first refrigerant outlet; and a first check valve having an end connected to an opposite end of the first expansion valve and an opposite end connected to the first end; and wherein the second valve unit comprises a second check valve having an end connected to the second end and an opposite end connected to the second refrigerant inlet.
 5. The split solid adsorption cooling system of claim 4, wherein the third valve unit comprises: a second expansion valve having an end connected to the second refrigerant outlet; and a third check valve having an end connected to an opposite end of the second expansion valve and an opposite end of the third check valve connected to the third end; and wherein the fourth valve unit comprises a fourth check valve having an end connected to the fourth end and an opposite end connected to the first refrigerant inlet.
 6. The split solid adsorption cooling system of claim 5, wherein the first adsorption bed and the second adsorption bed are configured to store an adsorbent, and the first condenser and the second condenser are configured to store a refrigerant. 